Key Witness

Kristin Conrad thinks shes safe. She has a small but thriving business, a stableif uneventfulhome and a church community that she finds fulfilling.

She never thought shed stumble onto a murder.

Or become a target herself.

Now, her only safe haven is in the protection of Detective Andy Howell. Hes exactly the kind of man she would have avoideda man with his own scars who lives on the razor-thin line of danger every day. A man that touches her heart.

She twisted and yanked against her captors fierce grip, but he was too strong. He pushed her into the vehicle and someone roughly shoved a pungent smelling cloth against her face.

She clawed at the hands holding the rag. A wave of dizziness washed over her. Her limbs suddenly refused to move as she collapsed on the seat. Hands pushed and pulled until she was completely inside and the door was slammed shut, the sound echoing inside her head.

She tried to move to see who had her, but her body wouldnt cooperate. The world narrowed to a pinprick of light that quickly vanished.

Paul brought the sedan to a screeching halt next to a fire truck. Andys heart raced with disbelief. Smoke billowed out of Kristins store.

Panic clawed at Andys insides like a caged cat. He jumped from the car and ran toward the front door. A firefighter grabbed him, preventing him from running into the dense smoke.

"Wheres Kristin?" Andy yelled. "The owner?"

The firefighter shook his head.

Fear, stark and breathstealing, seized him and wouldnt let go.

I cant lose her, not when Ive just found her. He wasnt sure where that thought had come from, but there was no time to analyze his feelings. Only one thing matteredKristin. "Please, God, please, dont let her be dead."

With a fierce yank, Andy broke free of the firefighters restraining hands and rushed closer to where two paramedics worked on Tony, the officer assigned to protect Kristin.

Andy knelt down beside the sooty officer. "Kristin? Where is she?"

Tony grabbed at the oxygen mask covering his face and pulled it away to talk. "She got out."

Andy sagged back on his heels with relief. But he needed to see for himself that she was safe. He bolted, pushing through the crowd. "Kristin! Kristin Conrad!"

Where was she?

"Hey, Mister," a raspy voice called to him. "You lookin for the shop lady?"

Andys gaze landed on a disheveled man hunched near the corner waving to him. Hungry for any information, he hurried over. Digging into his pocket for some change, he questioned the man. "Did you see her? Do you know where she is?"

Taking the change like precious gems, the homeless man nodded and pointed to the side street. "Firefighter stuffed her into a big black monster. It took off that way." He pointed south.

Terror squeezed his lungs like a vice. "A firefighter? Are you sure?"

"Yep. He looked just like them others, only his hat was yeller instead of black."

Unsure of the reliability of the mans story, Andy swiftly moved to the firefighter giving orders. Andy flashed his badge. "Hey, any of your guys wearing a yellow helmet?"

"No. Why?"

Gesturing to the homeless man, Andy said, "He saw the owner of the store being forced into a black vehicle by a firefighter with a yellow hat."